Our Professional Membership

We are proud to be members of the following organisations and always try to deliver the highest professional standards in all elements of the service.

The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF)

We are member no. 2002 of The National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors

(SAIF), a trade association whose members are all independent funeral directors.

The funeral service we offer is not part of a national or international conglomerate or chain,

but is privately owned and managed, having been run by the same Rounce family for two generations.

Independent funeral directors are known for their high standard of service and a caring, traditional approach to their local communities, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. By choosing a SAIF member when the need arises, you are assured of a trusted and caring professional who is dedicated to serving the needs of the community. SAIF Members must adhere to a strict Code of Practice.
They have 850 funeral companies in membership, totalling almost 1,500 sites. An additional 100 companies are Associate Members, who supply products or services to the funeral profession.

We are members of the 'Buy With Confidence scheme' which provides consumers

with a list of local businesses which have given their commitment to trading fairly. Rounce Funeral Services has undergone a series of detailed checks before being approved as a member of the scheme.

Buy With Confidence is run through the cooperation of a number of Trading Standards Services. Trading Standards has the right expertise and motivation to offer a scheme which offers genuine benefits to consumers and businesses. Accordingly, the Buy With Confidence scheme is administered by local authority Trading Standards Services directly, and is not outsourced.

Membership of the scheme is not given lightly – amongst other checks, each applicant will have their complaints history reviewed and will receive a visit from Trading Standards. Good references are required from previous customers and applicants must agree to abide by the scheme’s code of conduct, which requires them to follow the letter and spirit of the law. Criminal records basic disclosure may also be required in some circumstances.

Only if all the scheme requirements are met, will a business be granted membership, and their conduct will continue to be monitored thereafter.

All prospective members are thoroughly vetted by Trading Standards staff before being invited to join the scheme. The performance of members of the scheme is continuously monitored via the Citizen’s Advice Consumer Service and through customer feedback submitted directly to them.

West Sussex County Council - Buy With Confidence Scheme - Trading Standards Approved

The Natural Death Centre - Recommended Funeral Director

Rounce Funeral Services are recommended by The Natural Death Centre because we are flexible, transparent and accommodating.

In the 25 years since the charity was founded in 1991, the Natural Death Centre has sought to

inform, empower and inspire the public in all matters relating to death and dying, and in

particular to increase awareness of funeral choices outside of the mainstream.

Despite their long running links with environmentally friendly funerals, they are not a green pressure group, but primarily a movement for social change.

They have played a central part in demystifying the traditional funeral, encouraging thousands of families in having the kind of funerals they wanted, and helping create opportunity for new rituals to emerge.

They are, and will continue to be an informed and reflective presence on issues such as dying at home, caring for our dead and changing funeral practices and actively promote natural burial as an option that should be offered to everyone.

National Federation of Funeral Directors (NFFD)

The National Federation of Funeral Directors is a professional, self-regulated, trade body,

whose members are committed to providing consumers with a better, more affordable,

range of services when faced with the costly and emotional task of arranging a funeral.

By choosing Rounce Funeral Services, an NFFD approved funeral director, you can have absolute peace of mind that you will receive services of the very highest quality at prices you can afford.

The Fair Price Charter

As everyone knows, over the last 20 years, funeral costs have risen far in excess of the rate of inflation. One major contributing factor has of course been the steady and consistent increases

in 3rd party fees, which, thankfully, most customers appreciate, are outside of the funeral

director's control, but with average cremation disbursements today being about £1100, it

doesn't seem right to us that we keep getting so many calls from members of the public

complaining that they can't afford the ridiculous sums being charged by many funeral directors.

We commonly hear of bills above £4000 and sometimes even £5000, which for a standard cremation is completely and utterly unacceptable. It is with this in mind that the Fair Price Charter was created. Basically, the Charter acts as a national database of funeral directors including Rounce Funeral Services, who have all confirmed that they are willing to conduct a standard cremation funeral – including a hearse, coffin, staff, and 3rd party fees – for less than £3000. It is felt that this is a fair sum for any reputable firm to charge for the level of work and resources required to conduct such a service.

Fair Funerals -

Quaker Social Action

The Fair Funerals pledge is part of the national Fair Funerals campaign which

calls on the industry and government to give better support to people in funeral poverty. The pledge was launched by anti-poverty charity Quaker Social Action (QSA) and Rounce Funeral Services were one of the first funeral directors to commit to making their most affordable funeral visible.
QSA wants clearer pricing and more choice so people know what they are buying when arranging a funeral and can choose a simple funeral with a low cost coffin if they wish.
SAIF members commit to explaining their costs and providing a choice of prices, including the availability of a simple, low cost funeral. When giving costs for coffins they must provide a choice of at least four, one of which is an inexpensive plain type. Written estimates of the costs must be given at the time the funeral is arranged.
Alun Tucker, Executive Chairman of SAIF, said: “SAIF is fully behind the Fair Funerals pledge launched by Quaker Social Action, which we are recommending that our members sign. Our members are small, independent funeral directors based in local communities across the UK who are committed to being open, honest and fair about funeral costs, so it’s only natural they’ll want to support this campaign.”
He added: “We encourage members of the public to look for a SAIF registered funeral director because our members are committed to always explaining and giving a choice of prices, including for a simple, low cost funeral. All SAIF members undergo regular inspections to check they are meeting our high standards.”
Quaker Social Action’s Fair Funeral’s campaigner, Heather Kennedy, said: “Funeral poverty has increased 50% in five years because funerals have become much more expensive at the same time as support from the state has dried up. The Fair Funerals pledge helps people access funerals they can afford. We’re working with local communities across the UK to raise the profile of the pledge in their area so people will be looking for funeral directors who have signed.”
The average total cost for a funeral is around £3,500. The fee to the funeral director usually accounts for about half of this, with the cost of the cremation or burial, doctor’s fees and fees for a religious or secular service accounting for the rest.

Worthing & Adur Chamber of Commerce

Rounce Funeral Services are also members of Worthing & Adur Chamber of Commerce,

the business hub of Worthing and Adur who actively represent the interests and needs of local business on many local committees, councils and business working groups across the region,

on a local, regional and strategic level.

They are a vibrant and fast growing chamber encouraging businesses to work together for

mutual success. The Chamber champions local industry to secure future investment and

growth in our towns and Rounce Funeral Services are proud to be a part of this and show